Distribution of limnaea emarginata, Say, and the var. mighelsi, Binney, in Fish River, Aroostook Co., Maine

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; Limnea Gmarginata, | Say, |

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We Yar. Mlighels, Binney,

| AROOSTOOK CO., MAINE.

IN FISH RIVER,

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1901. |

LIMNAEA EMARGINATA AND THE VARIETY MIGHELSI OF
FISH RIVER LAKES, AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE.

In 1821, Thomas Say published in the Journal of Academy of — :
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Limnazea emarginata discovered by Mr. ©

Aaron Stone in lakes of Maine.

Mr. Alexander W. Longfellow, a brother of the poet Longfellow,
while exploring and surveying the northeastern boundary in the summer
of 1842, discovered in Second Eagle lake a Limnaza, named by Dr. J.

W. Mighels L. ampla, and published in the Boston Journal, Natural *

History, Vol. IV, 1843. Mr. A. W. Longfellow asserts this specie was
very abundant on the shore in Second Eagle lake, summer 1842, but he
had no means of preserving any more than four specimens.

Prof. Edward L.. Morse and John M. Gould made a careful survey

of Mud lake in 1852 and found but six or seven dead specimens. See
journal of the Portland Society of Natural History, Vol. I, !864.

To my knowledge there has been no further notes made of this very
interesting shell of Aroostook. My first visit to Square lake in June,
1889, one large shell was picked up at the inlet. In August, 1891, and
September, 1899, five specimens were obtained. In August, 1893,a good
lot of ‘shells were obtained at the same locality and sent to Prof. H. A.
Pilsbury of Philadelphia for identification. Prof. Pilsbury wrote me thus:
‘Give particular attention to collecting a good lot of Limnaa emarginata
and especially the variety mighelsi, as they are very interesting.’’

In company with Lars Nylander, | passed three weeks during August

and September, 1894, and made a collection of fossils and shells at Gross,

Square, Eagle and Portage lakes and many fine specimens were secured.
Some lower Helderberg fossils were discovered in Eagle lake, Corals,
Crinoid stems, Strophomena rhomboidalis, Wlk., Orthis varica, Con., Tre-
matospira Multistriata Hall and Platyceras. Nils Esbjornson assisted
me during a three weeks’ trip in 1896, and special attention was given to
. the collection of living shells of Fish river. By careful search around the
shores of the lakes and by dredging in the deep water, many interesting
specimens were secured. The dredge used was sent me by Bryant Walk-
er, Esq. of Detroit, and many valuable favors have been received from
him. In regard to the large pond snails sent him, he wrote as follows:
“The Limngzas are by all odds the finest | have everseen. Our Michigan
samples do not begin to compare with them.”

pause

In June, 1897, Prof. Frank C. Baker of Chicago wrote me: ‘‘The
writer is gathering materials for an illustrated monogroup of North Amer-
ican Limneeidaa and desires to obtain as full a set of specimens as pos-
sible from different locatities.’’ A good lot of specimens were sent to him
and he said: ‘‘The lot is a splendid one, particularly the L. emarginata,
which is the finest | ever saw.’’ At different times living alcoholic and
dry specimens were sent to Prof. Baker and the result of his careful
studies were illustrated and published in a Bulletin, Vol. Il, of The Chicago
Academy of Science, June, 1900.

In order to obtain all possible information in relation to Maine shells,
I made a special trip to Orono, Waterville, Portland, Boston and Cam-
bridge, and was permitted to examine the different collections, but I am ~
sorry to state that at neither of the places visited did I find a collection of
the large pond snails of Aroostook. The specimens vary greatly in form,
and of the many thousand varieties seen and collected, there are hardly
two alike.

Prof F. C. Baker writes: ‘‘No published figures show the wide range
of varities in this species***unlike some species, this form does not ‘vary
according to any particular locality, but the same locality will produce all
known varieties. A naturalist fond of making species, could form not only
a large number of species but several genera. Anatomically the ani-
mals show no such variation but are wonderfully uniform.”

The Limneeas of Fish river lakes are very abundant some years. In
1893-4-5-6 »thousands of specimens’ might have been collected at Square
lake inlet, atlow water mark. In 1898-9-00, they were not so common.
D. E. Johnson, Supt. of Caribou fish hatchery, who had made collections
for me several times, informs me that he could only find a few young and
some dead shells at the above locality in August this year.

At Cross lake, specimens were common at the inlet in 1894-6, and
this summer, in August or September only a few young shells could be
found by me.

In second Eagle lake or Mud lake (the latter being the common
name) A. W. Longfellow stated that specimens were abundant in 1842.
Prof. E. S. Morse found only a few dead shells in 1859. John Storey and
William Roach of the Caribou fish hatchery, informed me that they col-
lected a good lot of specimens in Mud lake in 1898, and D. E. Johnson
informed me of a large colony in 1900. This year in August and Septem-
ber, I collected a good lot of specimens and at the inlet they were abundant.
In Eagle and Portage lakes | have never found them in abundance.

A colony was discovered in Fish river at Fort Kent in August, 1899,
and few specimens were found in the St. John river, one-half mile above
Fort Kent on the U. S. side.

In Aroostook river, just above the Caribou stream, | have collected
specimens every season for the past eight years and this is the only colony

_] have found in this river from Ashland to the boundary line.

eign oy

EXPLANATION OF PLATES.

Long lake is the head of the east branch of Fish river. Only a very
small part of this lake has been examined by me. Near the outlet several
species of shells were obtained, but not a single specimen of Limnza. A
thoroughfare, one-half mile in length, connects it with Mud lake. In the
lower half of this thoroughfare Limngza emarginata commences to appear
and is very abundant at the outlet in Mud lake. See plate /, fig. 1-10.
This is undoubtedly the original locality where Mr. Longfellow discovered
his specimens in 1842, and the name Limnza (Radix) ampla was given
the shells by Dr. 1. W. Miggheld- It is a very easy thing to name a speci-
men, but the criticism wil¥come after, and if the same name has been
used for a specie of the same family it must be changed.

In 1842 Hartman published Limnaa (Gulnaria) ampla of Europe.
See plate 1, fig. 15-19, drawn from specimens collected by A. S. Ober-
wimmer, Vienna, Austria. Some authorities claim L. ampla is only a
variety of Limnza auricularia Linne also of Europe. See plate /, fig. 16-
77. Specimens from Elbe river, Germany.

The best authorities agree that our shells are only a variety of Limnaza
emarginaia Say, and W. G. Binney in Smithsonian miscellaneous collec-
tion, land and fresh water shells of North America, part II, 1865, in a foot
note proposes the name Mighelsi for the variety and this is generally
adopted. ;

Plate 1, fig. 11-15, is from the lower left-hand side of Mud lake.
The specimens in this lake are small, leight-horn, colored, sometimes
ornamental, with revolving bands; the color of this animal varies. The
specimens at the water edge are bluish-black or gray, and those in deep
water are very light and sometimes orange. Specimens are most com-
mon at low water mark, t@e water-beine about three feet in depth, gravel
botion, where they feed on Confervz, growing on the rocks. This shell is
a typical Limnza emarginata Say. Dredging many places in this lake
from 3 to 13 feet not a single specimen of the above were obtained. On
the sand and gravel bars formed at the outlet in Cross lake a colony of
shells appear. . They are somewhat larger in size than those in Mud lake,
with a shorter spire and a wider aperture. See plate 2, fig. 1-6. These
specimens are very abundant some years. This summer in August, only
a few young shells could be found. The variety named mighelsi will be
found to correspond better to these shells than those found in Mud lake.
On the west side, about two miles south from the inlet at Cranberry Point
in two feet of water a colony of large specimens of the variety mighelsi
isfound. See plate 2, fig. 7-1/. Cross lake is 5 miles long and | 1-2
miles wide. Few specimens have been dredged at the south end of this lake.

Entering Square lake to the right is a large sand and gravel bar and
a large sheltered cove where Limnzea emarginata var. migelsi Binn., are,
some years,very abundant, attains the largest in size and the most variable
in forms of any known. See Plates 3-4.

Iles) ipa

Fig. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, plate 3, are the most common forms found, in
from one to two feet of water. Fig. 12-20 on the same plate is found
living on the rocks at low water mark. Fig. 1, a very large shell, was
found on the other side of the bar in three feet of water. Fig. 1-2, plate
4, were obtained in the main current at the inlet and is a very rare form.
Fig. 3-11 are some of the latgest specimens found, and the extreme vari-
ations of this shell is remarkable and nothing in existence in this part of
the country its equal. Fig. 12 on this plate is a broken shell to show the
internal form of the spire or columella, as it is generally called. All fig.
are natural size.

At the south end of Square lake large specimens, similar to those
above, are sometimes found on the beach after storms. Square lake is one
of the largest and handsomest lakes in Maine and empties in Eagle lake
through a thoroughfare, 4 miles long. The water in Eagle lake is deep.
and only a few large shells have been found. See plate 2, fig. i2-14.
Eagle lake, 18 miles long and 2 miles wide, forms the main basis for the
south and east branches of Fish river and empties in the St. John river
at Fort Kent. This stream has cut its canal through slate ledges of the
Oriskany formation, ard near Fort Kent I have collected crinoid stems,
Leptocelia flabellites, Conn., Platyceras and Fucoides in abundance.
Probably all the slate for 20 or more miles to the west might be included
in the Oriskany group. At the mouth of Fish river is a large gravel bar
running out into the St. John river, and between this and the point where
the old Blake house stands is a small colony of Limngea emarginata Say.
See plate 2, fig. 29-34. The specimens are of small size, and the interest-
ing fact is, they. correspond in general with those found at Mud lake; the
largest specimens are found at Square lake. The small shells at Fort Kent
and Mud lake compare very well with a colony of Limnaza emarginata Say
found in Aroostook river at Caribou. See plate 2, 15-17. Caribou is
30 miles from Mud lake and 44 miles from Fort Kent.

Portage lake, on the south branch of Fish river is about half way of
this branch. At Oak Point and along the east side of this lake specimens
of medium size of Limnza emarginata var. mighelsi, Benn., are some-
times found in two or three feet of water, See plate 2, fig. 18-22. The
specimens in this lake are more frequently adorned by light colored bands
than any of the others.

Portage lake empties in Eagle lake through an 18-mile thoroughfare,
including Saint Froid lake. Small colonies are also found in several places
along the gravel bars. See plate 2, fig 23-28. The specimens are about
the same size as those in Aroostook river.

The 85 figures on the four plates are all natural size, and will give a
good idea of the great variations in the Limnza emarginata. This is also
a record of all the localities where | have found these interesting shells in
Aroostook county, Maine.

Caribou Maine, Oct. 1901,

PLATE |.

OLOF O. NYLANDER, DEL.

Fig. 1-15, Mud Lake. Fig 16-17, L. auricularia, Elbe River, Germany. Fig. 18-19, L. ampla,
Neustadt Channel, near Vienna, Austria.

PLATE Il.

OLOF O. NYLANDER, DEL.
Fig. 1-11, Cross Lake. Tig. 12-14. Eagle Lake. Fig. 15-17, Aroostook River. Fig. 18-22, Portage Lake.
Fig. 23-28, Thoroughfare between Portage and Eagle lakes, Fig. 29-34, Fish River, Fort Kent.

PLATE I/II.

OLOF O. NYLANDER, DEL.

Limnea emarginata, var. Mighelsi, Binney.
Square Lake Inlet.

PLATE 1V-

OLOF O. NYLANDER, DEL.

Limniea emarginata, var. Mighelsi, Binney.

Square Lake Inlet.

PLATE IV.

OLOF O. NYLANDER, DEL.
Limniea emarginata, var. Mighelsi, Binney.
Square Lake Inlet.

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